My son and I were nearly killed this morning in traffic. Our lives were spared at the last moment when I felt something physically take my hand on the steering wheel and jerk us quickly to safety in the lane next to us. It was divine intervention. I had my own plans (braking and honking). The Lord had different plans. He saw what I couldn’t see with my own eyes. He saw our lives were in jeopardy and intervened. Some may say, “No, Sarah, those were your reflexes.” I can assure you, there were no reflexes involved. I encounter these situations daily, I wasn’t phased by what was happening (someone running a light and turning in front of me). I was calm and doing what I normally do. It was the Lord who moved us.

I’ve been contemplating the situation all day (as well as a few other situations). Why were we spared? People die everyday. No one person more deserving than the next. What was the Lord trying to show me? I could’ve lost my son. My son could’ve lost me. Our family could’ve lost both of us.

I figured I wasn’t spared so I could sit on the couch and watch tv. ;0) So I decided to get up and get my cleaning done.

While cleaning the bathrooms, I was praying. Who doesn’t! Wait is it just me who does that? :0) Anyway, I wasn’t praying anything in particular, not an organized prayer by any means, no words. More just an open heart to the Holy Spirit..letting Him flow into my heart, soul and mind without barriers. That’s my favorite kind of “prayer”. More of an invitation for His input, I suppose.

I heard Him say these words to my spirit, “If you had to lose everyone and everything dear to you in order to follow Me, would you?”

My first thought was instinctively, “Yes, Lord.”

Then I saw snippets of everyone I love in my life, every thing I have that I hold dear. Every sunny day. Every healthy breath. My family. My best friends. My car. My home. My bed. My dogs. My mind. My abilities.

Again, I hear, “If you had to lose everyone and everything dear to you in order to follow Me, would you?”

Again, with a lump in my throat, “Yes, Father. Even if I have to lose everything, I choose You.”

I ache to my core to think of losing people in order to follow Christ and His will. But if it means He is pleased in me, if it means I get to spend eternity with Him, I will. He is my first love.

I want to encourage you to stay on the path. To keep Him first, even when it hurts. Even when your flesh cries out in anguish and you can’t understand why His way is best. One day it will all make perfect sense, but it doesn’t have to make sense now. We have to be like Simon and Andrew. We need to drop everything, and follow.

When we are standing face to face with the Almighty God, it will all make perfect sense.

I think we were spared today because I needed a reminder that everything here on earth fades, it can be gone in an instant, but He remains.

He’s asking for us to go deeper. To let go of the things we have a death grip on, and refocus our attention on Him. It’s not our agenda that matters, it’s His. We need to make His agenda our agenda.

I’ve never seen a baby love a pacifier more than Jaden did. He always had one in his mouth, and one in each hand (not to mention the numerous others laying around). He was never without his binkies.

At one of his check ups the doc told me that it was time to let go of the binkies. That we had a small window of time where he would only remember it for a few days. But if we continued to wait, it would be progressively harder for him to break free of them. That it would also impact his teeth. And finally, that it was best to go cold turkey. So, we did it. It broke my heart.

He cried and cried and cried. Not a tantrum type cry, but a distraught cry. He was looking for his best friends..literally. He looked high and low, but they were gone. He was devastated! But, the doctor was right, after a few (long) days Jaden was over it. He quit looking for his binkies. He didn’t cry anymore. He had moved on.

If the Lord has asked you to let go of something or someone, trust that He knows the timing is right. That this is the appropriate season for change, and that it’s in your best interest. It might hurt immensely at first, but with time you will see that it was the best decision you’ve ever made. Don’t drag it out, go cold turkey.

Jesus said to let our yes be yes and our no be no. There’s no room for maybe in that directive. Follow His leading, and you’ll never be sorry!

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This is inspiration is from a blog I found on Tumblr, the user’s name is yaboikool. I’m new to tumblr so, I don’t really get how to use/search it yet! But I like this guy. Here’s what he had to say:

spiritualinspiration:

It’s one thing to know that you’re going into a challenging season. You get prepared for it. You get mentally ready. But what about the difficulties that we don’t see coming? The unexpected crisis that catches us off-guard? Sometimes, it can seem so overwhelming that it almost knocks the wind right out of us. The Scripture says that we shouldn’t be surprised by fiery trials. That’s because the forces of darkness would not be fighting against you if they didn’t know that God has something amazing in your future! Sometimes, those unexpected difficulties are just a sign that you’re on the right track. It’s always darkest just before the dawn appears. The enemy always fights the hardest when you are closest to your breakthrough. The key is to stay the course and keep fighting the good fight of faith. Keep your joy and keep declaring God’s Word over your future. God has promised that you will overcome every obstacle. You will defeat every enemy, and right now, I declare that you will fulfill your destiny in Jesus’ name

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The devo I’m sharing with you today started out by making me laugh, and ended up making me feel like I had been wrapped up in a nice warm blanket. Enjoy!

You are blessed,

Sarah

——–

Focusing on the Right Things
By Lisa Buffaloe

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” (Romans 5:3-5)

Several months ago, I walked across a parking lot and focused on the door where I would be doing business. A few moments later, I found myself sprawled on the sidewalk. Fortunately, my nose broke the fall. Unfortunately, said appendage sustained damage and still has a slight tilt to the left.

Amazing how a fall shifts the viewpoint. Who knew there was actually a curb?

When trials come there is a zeroing in on the things we hold dear. Immediately, the path warrants our attention opposed to the surroundings. Life’s difficulties readjust our focus.

Whether I live ten more days or fifty more years, I want to experience life to the fullest. God has walked me through the fires, through the raging waters, and never left my side. I may come out dripping wet or charred and smokin’ but I have found more of Him. I pray for health (and good eyesight), but more than that I pray and beg for more of Him.

God is faithful. He is big enough to handle whatever you face today, and whatever comes your way tomorrow. There is no illness, no diagnosis, no heartache, and no problem too big for God. The same God who created the universe, set the planets in motion, and placed the stars in the sky, is the God who knows the numbers of hairs on your head.

No detail is too small, nothing in your life is overlooked, and nothing is impossible for God.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father regardless of the difficulties of life, help me to stay focused on You. Help me keep my eyes fixed on You and not my difficulties. Thank you that You are over all things and always in control.

About the Author:
Lisa Buffaloe is a madly in love with God, Christ-follower, happily-married, mom, writer/blogger/speaker. God has helped her through molestation by a baby-sitter, assault, rape, divorce, cancer, death, seven surgeries, and years of chronic illness due to lyme disease. For more information, please visit http://www.LisaBuffaloe.com

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It’s easy to forget our role in this whole thing, isn’t it? Before long we have blurred the lines so much, we start to forget who’s in charge, and what our role really is. But, like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson says, “KNOW YOUR ROLE!” We’ve got to take the time to get very familiar with OUR role.

It’s not bad to stop and, as Ice Cube says, “Check yo’self before you wreck yo’self!” (Man, I’m full of the witty one liners today! Haha)

Ask yourself, “Am I in the right position here? Or am I trying to take center stage? Am I trying to take control of an issue that is “above my pay grade”? Am I playing God?”

If the answer is yes, don’t beat yourself up! Just do an about face, and give center stage back to Him. Life really does go so much more smoothly when we know our role, and stay in it.

Have a great Tuesday, friends!

You ARE blessed,

Sarah

—–

Steal My Show
By Toby Mac

So I’ll step out the way, I’ll give you center stage.
–TobyMac

Everyone knew who John the Baptist was. Crowds poured into the countryside to hear him speak. He was influential, and controversial. He was God’s chosen vessel.

John’s purpose was to call the people of God to repentance. His mission was to prepare their hearts for the arrival of their Messiah. It was arguably the most important job ever given to one man. Jesus himself said of John that among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist. That’s a strong endorsement.

Today, we see all around us how power and influence can corrupt; in business and politics, even in religion. The truth is, we don’t have to look any further than our own hearts to see how we can be tempted. Give us any little advantage and often our first instinct is to use it for our own gain. It was no different in John the Baptist’s day. Those who had power were tempted and frequently corrupted by it.

But John stands in stark contrast, and the thing that sets him apart is his humility. For all his power and influence, John never started believing it was about him. In the third chapter of John, John the Baptist’s own disciples came to him, seeming worried. They had just discovered that the crowds that once followed John, were now following Jesus instead. They were probably jealous for their Rabbi’s reputation. But John, in utter humility, replies The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.

From the moment Jesus began his public ministry, John willingly embraced the truth that his own moment in the spotlight was over. He had merely been a faithful servant, a friend of the bridegroom. It wasn’t his show. It never had been. John was just the warmup act. Christ was the headliner. And rather than clinging to the remnants of whatever position and influence he might have kept for himself, John released it all and stepped aside, that the glory of Christ might be revealed.

Well tomorrow, our baby girl graduates from high school. She’s graduating a year early! So proud of her. It’s funny how time flies. One minute you’re wishing that baby would start talking so you can know what they want. The next minute you’re helping them try on their cap and gown.

She’s an amazing girl with a heart of gold. Her future plans consist of earning her major in Sociology and her minor in Multi Ethnic Studies. Then, she can get on to what she really wants to do…mission work, and writing that goes hand in hand with that mission work.

I’m so blessed, and in awe, that The Lord entrusted us with this beautiful miracle. It blows me away.

In other news, Matt is still in the hospital, and will be (reportedly) through the weekend. Please continue to lift him up in prayer. I hope to be able to see him tomorrow morning. I want to take Ash in to see him while she’s wearing her cap and gown so he can see her, since he won’t be able to attend the graduation. If I make it through that without having to be admitted myself for an emotional breakdown, it will be a miracle! 😉

One thing I know for sure is that God is GOOD, and worthy to be praised! In the good times, in the bad times, in the in between times. Praising confuses the enemy! So praise Him in advance, friends! Your breakthrough is on the way!

Scripture:
Now to the God who can do so many awe-inspiring things, immeasurable things, things greater than we ever could ask or imagine through the power at work in us, to Him be all glory in the church and in Jesus the Anointed from this generation to the next, forever and ever. Amen.
– Ephesians 3:20-21

Sometimes there aren’t words adequate enough to describe the disappointment of being lied to. When one close to you continues the tradition of inflating the truth, and/or just flat out lying to your face, it hurts and gets old. Can I get an amen?

Sometimes I want to scream, “Am I not worth the truth? Is the truth too boring?! What is it?!” Other times I want to cry and quietly say, “Don’t you know by now that it’s the real you that I love? The you that hurts, fears, loves, laughs, cries, fails, succeeds…not the fake version of you that you almost always choose to show.”

I get so weary of hearing things that are opposite of the way it was told the time before. It’s a slap in the face, a stab to the heart. I’ve only seen the person come out from behind the mask here and there. And when I do, I feel overwhelming sadness, knowing that the genuineness won’t last for long. But also sad because, the only one being fooled is the friend. I can see through the lies into the truth, whether it’s revealed or not. And I think that’s the worst part. Seeing the agony in one’s eyes while the mouth drips honey.

I think Jesus feels the same way about us.

We try to put on a show for him. We attempt to hide our ugly truth in a soup with prettier ingredients, when all He really wants is us. No matter how ugly we are at the time, He wants us to come to Him. Genuine. Honest. Real. Vulnerable. When we come to him in humility, He can then properly mold us into who we are destined to be.

A few scriptures to chew on today:

Zechariah 8:16-17 And now here’s what I want you to do: Tell the truth, the whole truth, when you speak. Do the right thing by one another, both personally and in your courts. Don’t cook up plans to take unfair advantage of others. Don’t do or say what isn’t so. I hate all that stuff. Keep your lives simple and honest.” Decree of God.

Ephesians 4:25 What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.

Be blessed, friends, as we continue on this journey of spiritual growth together. My love and prayers are with you all today. No matter what you have to face in your life, know that you’re never alone. Look up! He loves you, and yearns for you to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

– Sarah

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I'm on a never ending journey of spiritual growth. I'm a bit (a lot) sarcastic, with a dry sense of humor. I enjoy raw, real conversations. The truth of who we are is so much better than the charade!
I'm a wife and mom, and I love it! My life is busy, fulfilling, and challenging. It's been about ups and downs, twists and turns, stagnation and growth. Today, I choose growth above bathing in the chaos of stagnation.
Most importantly, I'm forever in love with my Savior, and want to encourage you to grow in Him. Knowing that He adores you, and has a great plan for your life. You're never alone, there's no pit deep enough that the touch of Grace can't reach down and pull you out.
I look forward to hearing from you!

Trust me, I've been there, I've looked, I've searched and I know now, that there are no answers to be found in the bottom of a bottle or on the edge of a blade! Fighting Hard, Recovering, Rebuilding, REBORN. Moving on from addiction to a new life.

Romans 8:16-17: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”